"2003 Emergency Treatment at John Radcliffe - great care, surroundings not so good."

In 2003 I was rushed to hospital after a serious car crash. Although at first the doctors diagnosed me with internal bruising, after 24 hours in intensive care it became clear that the middle seat-belt I had been wearing had caused me to tear holes in my intestines, releasing their contents into my bodily cavity. I was suffering from severe septicaemia, and by the time I was finally taken to the operating theatre the doctors were getting worried about my survival prospects.

However, although the original misdiagnosis meant that my surgery was later than would have been idea, I don't doubt that if it wasn't for the John Radcliffe hospital I wouldn't be here to tell the tale today.

The worst thing about the experience was the disgusting state of the wards, which looked as if they hadn't been cleaned since they were built, but the staff were second to none. I was genuinely impressed with the hospital and the hard-working individuals who keep it running on a daily basis, cleanliness aside, and I feel permanently indebted to a hospital to which, in my opinion, I owe my life.